MOSAIC DOMINANCE IN THE INHERITANCE OF THE COLOUR PATTERNS OF COELOPHORA INAEQUALIS (F.) (COLEOPTERA: COCCINELLIDAE)

Abstract

Crosses were made between six forms of Coelophora inaequalis (F.) from the Brisbane area: nine‐spotted, elongated stripe, normal, black, five‐spotted and broken stripe. It was established that the inheritance of colour patterns in C. inaequalis is governed by mosaic dominance. These six forms are governed by four alleles with a dominance order of nine‐spotted normal black, elongated stripe black, while the elongated stripe and nine‐spotted alleles and the elongated stripe and normal alleles are co‐dominant and produce the five‐spotted and broken stripe forms respectively.